31-year-old letter from David Brooks on Donald Trump surfaces: 'I like the a**hole'

Bloomberg opinion writer Joe Nocera took us down memory lane today with this 31-year-old letter from then WSJ book review editor David Brooks who hired Nocera to do a book review on Donald Trump’s, “Art of the Deal.”

According to the letter, Brooks thought Trump was a liable “a**hole” because “he makes life interesting, and by dreaming big, and getting things done, he makes city government look foolish”:

31 years ago, a young book review editor at ⁦@WSJ⁩ , a fella named David Brooks, assigned me "The Art of the Deal" to review. Here's his assignment letter, which I came across in the midst of a purge. Oh, such innocent times! pic.twitter.com/h4wZzFsQLm

— Joe Nocera (@opinion_joe) June 10, 2018

At the time, city government was David Dinkins so this was a very early use of — and maybe the first? — “…to own the libs”:

lol even then owning the libs was a selling point https://t.co/vkI6tHKRYt

— Patrick Hruby (@patrick_hruby) June 10, 2018

Others were pretty impressed with how much Nocera made per word as a freelancer back then, and how it’s the same amount that freelancers are paid now:

This is a valuable document for a number of reasons, including the rate, which would still be pretty plumb today (which is kind of a bummer). https://t.co/nTD6QjOEBL

— Noel Murray (@NoelMu) June 10, 2018

As proved by this letter, one thing hasn't changed in 31 years of #journalism:
–The amount paid for a book review. https://t.co/jgfEBO1Dcl

— Jonah Blank (@JonahBlank) June 10, 2018

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So payment rates have remained much the same the same for 30 years. 🙁 https://t.co/DSD3HH4mC9

— Andrew Downie (@adowniebrazil) June 10, 2018

There are a lot of shocking things in this letter, like the fact that freelance fees for book reviews haven't changed in 31 years. https://t.co/GlPSb4IPNe

— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) June 10, 2018

As for the review, Nocera was no fan:

To those who have asked about my review of "The Art of the Deal" in ⁦@WSJ⁩ , I can't find it online but here is how it begins…. pic.twitter.com/8kthilwtbj

— Joe Nocera (@opinion_joe) June 11, 2018

…and how it ended. pic.twitter.com/nADLpuH0Zo

— Joe Nocera (@opinion_joe) June 11, 2018

And the rest is history.

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